The Myth of the Machine: Technics and human developmentAn in-depth look at the forces that have shaped modern technology since prehistoric times. Mumford criticizes the modern trend of technology, which emphasizes constant, unrestricted expansion, production, and replacement. He contends that these goals work against technical perfection, durability, social efficiency, and overall human satisfaction. Modern technology fails to produce lasting, quality products by using devices such as consumer credit, installment buying, non-functioning and defective designs, built-in fragility, and frequent superficial "fashion" changes. "Without constant enticement by advertising," he writes, "production would slow down and level off to normal replacement demand. Otherwise many products could reach a plateau of efficient design which would call for only minimal changes from year to year." |
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Page 18
Or again , was this extraction of marrow and brain like that of some later peoples ,
part of a sacrificial , magicoreligious ceremony ? And finally , was the marrow
used as infant ' s food , or to help start a fire — both attested uses for marrow
under ...
Or again , was this extraction of marrow and brain like that of some later peoples ,
part of a sacrificial , magicoreligious ceremony ? And finally , was the marrow
used as infant ' s food , or to help start a fire — both attested uses for marrow
under ...
Page 150
4 : The Enchantments of Sex Some of the earliest paleolithic art is far more
accomplished , both technically and esthetically , than comparable images done
tens of thousands of years later in Azilian , Halafian , or Cycladic cultures .
4 : The Enchantments of Sex Some of the earliest paleolithic art is far more
accomplished , both technically and esthetically , than comparable images done
tens of thousands of years later in Azilian , Halafian , or Cycladic cultures .
Page 221
By the time the written records tell of war , all the preliminary events in Egypt and
Mesopotamia were buried and unrecorded , though they may in fact have been
no different from those we have definite later knowledge of among the Maya and
...
By the time the written records tell of war , all the preliminary events in Egypt and
Mesopotamia were buried and unrecorded , though they may in fact have been
no different from those we have definite later knowledge of among the Maya and
...
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Contents
PROLOGUE | 3 |
THE MINDFULNESS OF MAN | 14 |
IN THE DREAMTIME LONG AGO | 48 |
Copyright | |
11 other sections not shown
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Common terms and phrases
achieved activities advances ancient animal association became become beginning body brain called cave century cities civilization collective command complex continued culture divine domestication dream earlier earliest early economy effective effort environment equally established evidence existence experience expression fact forces functions further give hand human hunting important improvement increase institution interpretation invention kind king kingship knowledge labor language later least less limited living machine magic man's material means mechanical megamachine merely military mind myth nature necessary neolithic never noted observation once operations organization original paleolithic performed perhaps period personality physical plants play possible practice present primitive production reason recorded remained ritual seems sexual significant social society speech stone symbolic technical thousand tion took turn village whole York
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Myth of the Machine: Technics and human development Harvest book Volume 1 of The Myth of the Machine, Lewis Mumford The Myth of the Machine; Technics and Human Development, Lewis Mumford |
| Author | Lewis Mumford |
| Publisher | Harcourt, Brace & World, 1967 |
| Original from | the University of Michigan |
| Digitized | 2 Jun 2008 |
| ISBN | 0151639736, 9780151639731 |
| Length | 342 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |